2019 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 46a - Human Rights
Chapter 814c - Human Rights and Opportunities
Section 46a-56 - Commission duties.

(a) The commission shall:

(1) Investigate the possibilities of affording equal opportunity of profitable employment to all persons, with particular reference to job training and placement;

(2) Compile facts concerning discrimination in employment, violations of civil liberties and other related matters;

(3) Investigate and proceed in all cases of discriminatory practices as provided in this chapter and noncompliance with the provisions of section 4a-60 or 4a-60a or sections 46a-68c to 46a-68f, inclusive;

(4) From time to time, but not less than once a year, report to the Governor as provided in section 4-60, making recommendations for the removal of such injustices as it may find to exist and such other recommendations as it deems advisable and describing the investigations, proceedings and hearings it has conducted and their outcome, the decisions it has rendered and the other work it has performed;

(5) Monitor state contracts to determine whether they are in compliance with sections 4a-60 and 4a-60a, and those provisions of the general statutes which prohibit discrimination; and

(6) Compile data concerning state contracts with female and minority business enterprises and submit a report annually to the General Assembly concerning the employment of such business enterprises as contractors and subcontractors.

(b) The commission may, when it is deemed in the best interests of the state, exempt a contractor from the requirements of complying with any or all of the provisions of section 4a-60, 4a-60a, 46a-68c, 46a-68d or 46a-68e in any specific contract. Exemptions under the provisions of this section may include, but not be limited to, the following instances: (1) If the work is to be or has been performed outside the state and no recruitment of workers within the limits of the state is involved; (2) those involving less than specified amounts of money or specified numbers of workers; (3) to the extent that they involve subcontracts below a specified tier. The commission may also exempt facilities of a contractor which are in all respects separate and distinct from activities of the contractor related to the performance of the contract, provided such an exemption shall not interfere with or impede the effectuation of the purposes of this section and sections 4a-60, 4a-60a, 4a-60g, 4a-62 and 46a-68b to 46a-68k, inclusive.

(c) If the commission determines through its monitoring and compliance procedures that a contractor or subcontractor is not complying with antidiscrimination statutes or contract provisions required under section 4a-60 or 4a-60a or sections 46a-68c to 46a-68f, inclusive, the commission may issue a complaint pursuant to subsection (c) of section 46a-82. Such complaint shall be scheduled for a hearing before a human rights referee appointed by the chief referee to act as a presiding officer. Such hearing shall be held in accordance with chapter 54 and section 46a-84. If, after such hearing, the presiding officer makes a finding of noncompliance with antidiscrimination statutes or contract provisions required under section 4a-60 or 4a-60a or sections 46a-68c to 46a-68f, inclusive, the presiding officer shall order such relief as is necessary to achieve full compliance with any antidiscrimination statute and required contract provisions. The presiding officer may: (1) (A) In the case of a state contract, order the state to retain two per cent of the total contract price per month on any existing contract with such contractor that the state withheld pursuant to section 46a-68d and transfer the funds to the State Treasurer for deposit in the special fund described in subsection (e) of this section, or (B) in the case of a municipal public works or quasi-public agency contract, order the municipality or entity to retain two per cent of the total contract price per month on any existing contract with such contractor; (2) prohibit the contractor from participation in any further contracts with state agencies or any further municipal public works contracts or quasi-public agency project contracts, as applicable until: (A) The expiration of a period of two years from the date of the finding of noncompliance, or (B) the presiding officer determines that the contractor has adopted policies consistent with such statutes, provided the presiding officer shall make such determination not later than forty-five days after such finding of noncompliance; (3) publish, or cause to be published, the names of contractors or unions that the presiding officer has found to be in noncompliance with such provisions; (4) notify the Attorney General that, in cases in which there is substantial violation or the threat of substantial violation of section 4a-60 or 4a-60a, appropriate proceedings should be brought to enforce such provisions, including the enjoining of organizations, individuals or groups that prevent, or seek to prevent, compliance with section 4a-60 or 4a-60a; (5) recommend to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the Department of Justice that appropriate proceedings be instituted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or related laws when necessary; (6) recommend to the appropriate prosecuting authority that criminal proceedings be brought for the furnishing of false information to any awarding agency or to the commission; (7) order the contractor to bring itself into compliance with antidiscrimination statutes or contract provisions required under section 4a-60 or 4a-60a or sections 46a-68c to 46a-68f, inclusive, not later than a period of thirty days after the issuance of such order or, for good cause shown, within an additional period of thirty days, and, if such contractor fails to bring itself into such compliance within such time period and such noncompliance is substantial or there is a pattern of noncompliance, recommend to the awarding agency that such agency declare the contractor to be in breach of the contract and that such agency pursue all available remedies or, in the case of a municipal public works or quasi-public agency project contract, recommend the municipality or entity to make such a declaration and pursue all available remedies; (8) order the awarding agency or, in the case of a municipal public works or quasi-public agency project contract, the municipality or entity, to refrain from entering into further contracts, or extensions or other modifications of existing contracts, with any noncomplying contractor, until such contractor has satisfied the commission that such contractor has established and will carry out personnel and employment policies in compliance with antidiscrimination statutes and section 4a-60 or 4a-60a and sections 46a-68c to 46a-68f, inclusive; or (9) order two or more remedies or other relief designed to achieve full compliance with antidiscrimination statutes and required contract provisions. The commission shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this section.

(d) If the commission determines, through its monitoring and compliance procedures, that, with respect to a state contract, municipal public works contract or quasi-public agency project contract, a contractor, subcontractor, service provider or supplier of materials has (1) fraudulently qualified as a minority business enterprise, or (2) performed services or supplied materials on behalf of another contractor, subcontractor, service provider or supplier of materials knowing (A) that such other contractor, subcontractor, service provider or supplier has fraudulently qualified as a minority business enterprise in order to appear to comply with antidiscrimination statutes or contract provisions required under section 4a-60 or 4a-60a, and (B) that such services or materials are to be used in connection with a contract entered into pursuant to subsection (b) of section 4a-60g, the commission may issue a complaint pursuant to subsection (c) of section 46a-82. Such complaint shall be scheduled for a hearing before a referee assigned by the chief referee to act as a presiding officer. Such hearing shall be held in accordance with chapter 54 and section 46a-84. If, after such hearing, the presiding officer makes a finding that a contractor, subcontractor, service provider or supplier of materials has violated this subsection, the presiding officer shall assess a civil penalty of not more than ten thousand dollars upon such contractor, subcontractor, service provider or supplier of materials.

(e) The Attorney General, upon complaint of the commission, shall institute a civil action in the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford to recover any penalty assessed pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. Any penalties recovered pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited in a special fund and shall be held by the State Treasurer separate and apart from all other moneys, funds and accounts. The resources in such fund shall, pursuant to regulations adopted by the commission in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, be used to assist minority business enterprises. As used in this section, “minority business enterprise” means any contractor, subcontractor or supplier of materials fifty-one per cent or more of the capital stock, if any, or assets of which is owned by a person or persons: (1) Who are active in the daily affairs of the enterprise; (2) who have the power to direct the management and policies of the enterprise; and (3) who are members of a minority, as defined in subsection (a) of section 32-9n.

(P.A. 80-422, S. 5; P.A. 83-569, S. 10, 17; P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; 88-303, S. 5; 88-351, S. 7, 16; 88-364, S. 94, 123; P.A. 89-253, S. 5, 7; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 91-58, S. 22; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; P.A. 95-220, S. 4–6; P.A. 07-142, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 71.)

History: P.A. 83-569 amended prior provisions to require the commission to monitor state contracts and added Subsec. (b) to prohibit contractors who fail to comply with antidiscrimination statutes from entering into state contracts; P.A. 88-230 replaced “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” with “judicial district of Hartford”, effective September 1, 1991; P.A. 88-303 added new subsection requiring the commission to assess a penalty against certain contractors, subcontractors or suppliers of materials; P.A. 88-351 amended duties of commission in Subsec. (a) to include investigation of noncompliance with Sec. 4-114a and compilation of data re state contracts with female and minority business enterprises and submission of annual report, inserted new Subsec. (b) re exemption of contractor from certain affirmative action requirements in certain contracts and added provisions in former Subsec. (b), now Subsec. (c), re retention of 2% of contract price per month, prohibition from participation in further contracts and additional sanctions by commission for noncompliance; P.A. 88-364 amended Subsec. (c) by substituting “commission” for “commissioner” and deleting “subject to the recommendations and approval of the commission”; P.A. 89-253 changed reference to Sec. 4-114a to Sec. 4a-60 throughout section and in Subsec. (b) changed reference to Sec. 4-114c to Sec. 4a-62 and deleted provision re applicability of said sections in absence of exemption; P.A. 90-98 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993; P.A. 91-58 added references to Sec. 4a-60a throughout section; P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; (Revisor's note: In 1995 the Revisors made an editorial correction at the end of Subsec. (b) substituting “32-9e” for “32-9c”, thereby correcting a longstanding clerical error in the codification of P.A. 88-351, S. 7); P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 07-142 amended Subsec. (c) to revise procedures for issuance and hearing of complaints against contractors and subcontractors, add provision re ordering contractor to bring itself into compliance with antidiscrimination statutes, required contract provisions or Secs. 46a-68c to 46a-68f, inclusive, and make technical changes and amended Subsec. (d) to make conforming and technical changes, effective July 1, 2007; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (c) by deleting reference to hearing officer, by adding reference to chief referee, by adding provision re presiding officer to order relief as necessary to achieve compliance with statute and contract provisions, by designating existing provision as Subpara. (A) and amending same by adding reference to Sec. 46a-68d and provision re transferring of funds for deposit in the special fund and adding Subpara. (B) re municipal public works and quasi-public agency contracts in Subdiv. (1), by adding reference to municipal public works and quasi-public agency contracts in Subdiv. (2), by deleting “material”, “the contractual provisions set forth in”, “within the limitations of applicable law” and references to directly or indirectly in Subdiv. (4), by adding “or related laws” in Subdiv. (5), by changing “contracting agency” to “awarding agency” in Subdivs. (6) to (8) and further amending Subdivs. (7) and (8) by adding reference to municipal public works and quasi-public agency project contracts and by adding Subdiv. (9) re ordering more remedies or other relief, amended Subsec. (d) by deleting “and after a complaint is filed and a hearing is held pursuant to subsection (c) of this section” and by adding references to municipal public works, quasi-public agency project contracts and service provider, by replacing reference to hearing officer or human rights referee with reference to commission issuing a complaint and by adding provisions re hearing to be held on a complaint and by designating existing provisions re civil action by Attorney General as Subsec. (e), and made technical changes.

See Sec. 4a-60g re commission's duties re set-aside program for small contractors, minority business enterprises, individuals with disabilities and nonprofit corporations.